


Let's Dance

by Spicy_Marmalade (Sparkly_Sparkly)



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-11-26 00:20:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18173366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparkly_Sparkly/pseuds/Spicy_Marmalade
Summary: Anything for the mission?Duo and Heero go undercover at a gala to try and expose remnants from the war. Rich socialites gather at a charity gala with the claims they have the blueprints to a new mobile suit. Heero and Duo are sent in to stop them, disguised as socialites themselves Duo is forced to cross dress in an effort to blend in. Unfortunately for him, he blends in too well and draws unwanted attention.





	1. Dude Looks Like A Lady

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there. Long time fan, first time writer in this fandom. The idea of crossdressing Duo came about a while ago and I never had the time or means to sit down and actually write it out...until now. I tried my best to keep both Heero and Duo in character, but it's been a while since I've last seen the series so some things might be off.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy.

“Duo, what the hell are you wearing?”  
“Hm?” came the response from across the small hotel room. 

Heero and Duo had been assigned to work together on the latest Preventer mission, which wasn’t unusual. They were paired up a lot, have been since the war. He knew that they were a good team, but what he didn’t understand was why he was here, in this hotel room in a shithole city when they should be on a well-earned vacation in literally anywhere else. He sighed, fussing with his tie yet again, annoyed that it can’t seem to sit straight. Duo turned around, having finished putting his long hair up, his usual braid pinned up nicely. 

“Whaddya mean, Heero? What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? I know it’s not black, but I thought dark blue would look nicer.” He held up two different pairs of heels, not batting an eye at them, even if he wasn’t looking forward to putting them on. “Right or left?”  
“Are you seriously telling me you’re ok with dressing like that?”

Duo slumps a bit, shoulders sagging in a pathetic display of defeat. “Oh yeah I’ve always wanted to wear a tight ass evening gown and heels for a mission.” Duo states sarcastically, rolling his eyes as Heero points vaguely at one of the pairs of heels. “But seeing as how you’d be an even less believable girl than me, here we are. Be thankful you don’t have to wear these!” He swings the pair of shoes around in his hands as a way of emphasis. “Une owes me a really, really good vacation after this.” 

Heero laughs, feeling a bit sorry for his partner this time. “Yeah well, I guess she wanted to make it seem less suspicious this way. Two dudes walking in together would’ve no doubt gotten more attention.”  
“Whatever. Next time, Quatre is playing dress up.” Duo finishes strapping the shoes on, pacing around the small room to try and figure out how women walked in heels. “How the hell do women walk in these things? I can barely stand up.”  
“With practice, I well imagine. I’ll ask Relena next time I see her. Maybe she can give you lessons.” Heero’s tone was flat, but Duo knew he was trying to make a joke, not that he found any of this funny.  
“Shut it, Yuy. Let’s just get this over with so I can get these damned clothes off.” Duo tugs at the dress, trying his best to not show too much leg, though that wasn’t possible in his current state. 

Heero shrugs, trying one last time to get his tie to cooperate. Duo swats his hand away, fixing it for him before picking up a small silver hand bag and offering his hand to Heero. Heero looks down at Duo’s hand, taking his arm and leading him like a gentleman, more than a little confused about how he should act. He knew etiquette well enough, having learned quite a bit while being a body guard off and on for Relena over the years, but he’s never escorted Duo before and certainly not in his craziest dreams did he imagine him escorting Duo with him dressed like this. He had to admit, if he didn’t know him personally, didn’t know how he actually was under all the makeup and the pretty dress, he’d probably mistake him for a high-class lady, a charming socialite invited to this prestigious gala to talk business.  
But he wasn’t that and neither was Heero. They were both agents, both worked for Preventer, and they both were here undercover on a mission for Une to sniff out the riff raff from within. There were illegal dealings going on, a threat of remnant resurgence being backed by the wealthy for nothing more than profit from war. They had stolen files, confidential ones from before the fall of Oz that contained new mobile suit designs. Someone within this inner circle even claims to have new Gundam designs. They were both pretty sure the part about the Gundams was bogus, but they still needed to check all the leads they could, needed to make sure history would not, once again, repeat itself and that the past would remain nothing more than painful memories of their youth.

They make their way to the elevator, pressing the button to go down to the lobby. The limo waited for them outside and Heero helped Duo into the car, getting in after him as the driver closes the door, making his way to the front of the car and whisking them off to the elegant ballroom that looked out of place in such a city as this. Heero frowned, deep in thought as he tried to remember the name of the unfortunate place they found themselves in.  
“Something wrong?”  
Heero glances over to Duo, who was trying his best to sound more feminine. It was odd hearing the cutesy lilt to his voice and caught him off guard, his brain catching up with him a few seconds later. “I was just trying to remember the name of this city is all.”  
“New York, Heero. It’s called New York. It was a nice city, long ago, but unfortunately about the only thing nice left is this historic ballroom.” 

They arrive at the ballroom and the driver opens the door for Heero who slides out, offering his arm to Duo who takes it, carefully getting out and still not comfortable in the heels as he takes a wobbly step out of the limo and onto the sidewalk.  
“This is going to be a long night. Please don’t let me make a fool of myself.”  
Heero snickers. “You always make a fool of yourself.”  
“I’m serious!” Duo snaps back in a hushed voice as they walk up to the doors, Duo getting better as they go, but still relying heavily on Heero to keep him upright.  
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you fail.”

Duo gives him a look, but he knew that was Heero’s way of saying he had his back. Neither one of them were ever any good at communication and Heero was literally the worst. He was so conditioned to fight that damn near anything else was rendered irrelevant and fell to the way side.  
They enter into the foyer and are greeted by two men in full tail coats, smiling wide at them.  
“Good evening, young sir.” The man next to Heero greeted him with a bowed head. “Might I have your name and the name of the young lady accompanying you today?”  
Heero tried not to snicker as the man said ‘lady’ when referring to Duo; but managed to stay focused. He was Heero Yuy, the mission always came first.  
“Yamamoto…Ichiro Yamamoto.” Heero winced a bit at the alias. It wasn’t his idea, but he was using the cover of a rich Japanese software engineer to get himself into this gala, so he had to play the part. “My plus one is Dori Zwei.” Duo curtsied on cue, easing into his role a bit with the help of Heero’s unyielding focus on the task at hand.  
“Pleasure to meet you Miss Zwei. Please enjoy the gala.” Duo nodded politely as Heero lead them past the doormen and into the ball room, elegant curtains surrounding either side of the giant picturesque window. Chandeliers illuminated the wooden dance floor with plush red carpet running under tables on the perimeter of the dance floor. Duo glanced longingly at the nearest table, wanting nothing more than to plop down in one of the plush chairs and take his shoes off, already dreading the evening ahead. He can take down mobile suits, blow shit up and jump out of buildings like some sort of damn superhero but walking in heels is the worst thing he’s ever done for a mission. He really would prefer setting explosives over this. He sighed internally as Heero led them around to meet some of the more suspect socialites, one in particular showing immediate interest in Duo and making his way towards them both.  
“Hello. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of making your acquaintance.” He offers his hand to Heero, who takes it, giving it a firm shake while he asses the man in front of him. “Argus Septum.”  
Heero recognized the name, younger brother to the general who served during the war, definitely a person of interest. Definitely someone who’d be looking to start this whole thing up again. Not faltering for a moment as he analyzed the man in front of him, Heero responded back in kind.  
“Ichiro Yamamoto.”  
“Yamamoto hmm? You’re the genius software developer, right?”  
Heero nodded at this and Argus’s attention shifted to Duo, an unsettling smile crossing his features that made Duo feel uncomfortable, trying his best not to avert his gaze or show his discomfort.  
“And who’s your lovely lady friend, Yamamoto?”  
“Dori Zwei. She’s…” before Heero can finish, Argus had snatched Duo’s free hand from his side and placed it to his lips. Heero’s hand presses against Duo’s arm and he can feel how tense Duo had become from Argus’s attention. He gently rubs his thumb along the top of his hand, very subtly and he can feel Duo relaxing a bit.  
“A pleasure to meet you as well, my dear. I’m sure you’re still making your rounds, but perhaps later I can have a dance?”  
Argus looks at Duo for an answer and he doesn’t immediately give one, still slightly wound up from the whole exchange. He definitely did not want to dance with him at any point that evening, but he knew that it would probably happen anyway, his dignity and pride be damned. This was a mission first and foremost so he knew he had to do whatever it takes. He does his best to fake a smile and looks up at him.  
“It would be my pleasure, sir.”  
Argus nods and walks away, a big smile on his face. Duo clenches his fist in frustration, turning away from Heero in an attempt to walk away from here, though where he was planning to go was uncertain.  
“You ok?”  
“Not really, Hee…Ichiro.”  
Heero glances around, leading them back to a table in the far corner away from everyone where they could talk more privately. Duo sits down and Heero moves his chair right next to his. Duo speaks low, barely above a whisper, but loud enough for the young man sitting next to him to hear.  
“This is not what I had in mind when I signed up for Preventers.”  
“I would think not.”  
Duo glared at Heero but continued anyway. “You know I don’t want to dance with him. He thinks I’m a woman. I know I look damn convincing, but what if…what if he finds out the truth?”  
“He won’t.”  
“You seem awfully sure of that.”  
“Duo…” Heero didn’t finish his thought, didn’t need to really since Duo already knew what he was going to say anyway. They’ve been best friends for a while now. Hell, if he admitted it to himself, he probably cared about Heero too much, much more than people who are best friends should, but they’ve been through hell and back. No one really understood him like Heero did, not even the other Gundam pilots. Sure, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei had all been through their own special versions of Hell, but he never really got as close to them as he did Heero. I guess falling out of a building without any care for your own personal well-being and being shot at speaks volumes about a person. Heero was certainly an odd one, but he’s the closest thing Duo had to a friend during the war and even after.  
“Maybe I like him?”  
“Huh?”  
Duo jumps a bit, not realizing he had said that out loud, even if it was just a whisper on his lips. He can feel his face getting hot at the realization of what he said and hopes that Heero didn’t actually hear him and is genuinely asking to repeat himself.  
“Uh…nothing.” He can feel his face grower warmer and looks down at his lap out of reflex.  
“Your face is all red.”  
Heero said it more as a statement than out of concern, but it didn’t help Duo feel any better. He said it out loud and, more importantly, he realized in horror that he really did care for him. Sure he had fantasized about him, not much else to do on some of those missions, on the nights spent alone during the war and even after. Aside from Hilde, he didn’t really get to know anyone else on the level he knew Heero. Hell, even Hilde was just a companion to prevent him from being too lonely when separated from the others. Didn’t really mean much, none of it did. He can feel himself getting dizzy and he desperately needed some air and some space away from Heero.  
“Duo?”  
Duo got up, almost too quickly and heads to the door as fast as he dared walk in the accursed heels. Heero jumps up, about to go after him when a young woman approaches, no doubt having waited until Duo left his side to make her approach.  
“Is something the matter?” She asked, though Heero highly doubted her concern was genuine.  
“She’s not feeling well. I think she just needed fresh air. I should go check on her.”  
“Maybe she needs some time to herself. She seemed rather upset.”  
“What makes you say that?”  
“Call it woman’s intuition.”  
Heero suppressed a grunt as the woman blocked his view of the door, him desperately trying to see where Duo went. “You may be right, but I still don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone like that.”  
“Trust me.”  
She takes Heero’s arm forcefully, throwing him off balance for a moment as she drags him out from the table and towards the dance floor. He needed to get away from her, needed to check on Duo, but he recognized this woman. She was a leader in weapons manufacturing, her business suffering greatly after the war ended. She was still wealthy, but bad investments elsewhere put her in a delicate balance, one misstep and she’d lose everything. There was no doubt in Heero’s mind that she was somehow involved in this plot to bring war upon humanity again, no doubt that she wanted nothing more than to churn out more weapons, to reestablish her empire built upon human suffering.  
“Eileen Ti”  
Heero nodded, knowing who she was without her saying anything. They make their way to the dance floor and he grabs her waist, leading her around the dance floor without much say in the matter. It was clear she wasn’t going to let him just go after Duo, even if that’s what he really wanted to do right now. He smiles at her, masking anything he might actually be feeling, hiding his desire to go check on his friend. He focuses on her face, reluctantly paying attention to his mission and nothing else.  
“Ichiro Yamamoto.”  
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yamamoto. You’re much younger and more handsome than the usual men who come to these things.” She glances down, then back up at him again. Heero had grown since his days as a pilot, but is still a bit shorter than Duo, which made it a bit weird for him to wear heels, but he didn’t mind the height difference. Still, Eileen was short, probably about 5’3” with high heels and it felt a little nice to have her look up at him. “How old are you anyway?”  
Heero now understood how Duo must’ve felt earlier. He hated these missions that relied heavily on social skills. He lacked them, everyone knew that, but he had Duo there. Duo was supposed to help him in these situations. He always knew what to say and how to make people laugh. He was so good at that. He even managed to make Heero laugh and thanks to Duo, Heero was beginning to understand a lot more about what it’s like to just enjoy life, to understand that there is meaning and purpose beyond being a soldier in a war. Eileen pressed herself in close against him and he fought the urge to shove her away, even though that’s all he wanted to do. He wanted to find Duo and get out of this place, but they had work to do and this wasn’t just a social outing. He calmed himself down as best he could and tried to get anything useful out of her.  
“I just turned 20 a few months ago.”  
“Oh my, you must be really smart to be so successful at such a young age.”  
“Yeah I graduated college at 16.”  
Eileen swooned and Heero wanted to shove her head on the floor or break her neck. He zoned out a bit, thinking of the ways he could kill her where she stood and end his misery, glancing to the door out of habit, looking for Duo. He doesn’t see him anywhere near the entrance and wonders if he had gone outside to relax a bit. Duo always loved looking up at the sky whenever they found themselves on Earth. Even in the polluted atmosphere of the city, he was probably looking to see how many stars he can see or staring at the comforting glow of the moon. Duo always did things like that. He never understood how Duo found such things relaxing, but if it worked for him, that was all that mattered. Duo was all that mattered. He found himself thinking more about the boy with the long, silky braid and less about the woman in front of him and the mission at hand. He knew Duo could handle himself, but there’s only so much he can do on his own dressed like that so he couldn’t help but worry about him, especially with how uncomfortable he felt earlier and especially now that he feels equally uneasy about his own situation. He began thinking about ways to excuse himself, ways to go find Duo without looking suspicious or drawing unnecessary attention. The song stopped and he broke away, using the natural break as his method of escape.  
“Sorry, please excuse me. I need to use the restroom. I’ll only be a few minutes.”  
Eileen frowned, reluctantly releasing him as he walked off towards the foyer in search of his partner.


	2. Why Can't This Be Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might change the title of this chapter later. I'm trying to make all the titles to this classic rock songs and while I think the title does fit this chapter, I feel there's a better fit out there that my brain can't currently think of,

 

Duo had finally managed to calm himself down, at least enough to go face Heero and the stupid mission again. Even though the sky over the city was thick with pollution, the nearly full moon managed to shine down brightly at him in greeting. He was leaning against the railing, having managed to get the doormen to leave him alone after insisting more than once that he was fine and just needed fresh air. He knew he should head back, he didn’t want to worry Heero and he also knew Heero wasn’t the greatest at socializing. Duo used to jokingly call him a robot, but back then, back in their days spent in mobile suits, that wasn’t too far from the truth. He had noticed, little by little, that Heero had started to open up, at least around him and it started trickling through to his everyday life. He was getting better at talking with other people but will never be as open with anyone as he is with Duo. Relena was probably a close second though, truth be told. She had her own way of getting Heero to open up a bit, but he never completely relaxed around her. Only Duo and only maybe twice since the end of the war. “Someday I swear I’ll get that guy to be normal, even if it kills me.” He chuckles to himself, standing back up straight and adjusting his dress. He takes a step, still a bit unsure of his abilities and slowly makes his way back inside, nodding politely to the doormen

“Thanks for putting up with me being out there like that. Just needed some fresh air.”

“Of course, miss.”

He steps back inside and immediately regrets his decision, his mood immediately soured by the sight of Argus. Argus had been coming from the direction of the restrooms and, much to his dismay, had spotted Duo on his way back inside.

“Oh we meet again, Miss Zwei. I do hope you’re feeling well.”

“I just needed a moment of fresh air. I’m fine, thank you.”

Argus nodded, closing the distance a bit between himself and Duo as Duo tries to back away.

“Excuse me, but I need to find Ichiro. I don’t want to worry him."

“I just saw him dancing with someone inside. He seemed to be enjoying himself.”

Duo tried to keep his face from betraying his emotions as Argus leans in, reaching for his hand. Duo breathes deep, already regretting what he was about to do next.

“I’m sorry, I really want to check in with Ichiro first, let him know I’m ok.”

Duo pulls his hand away, backing away from Argus slightly as he glances towards the door, trying to look for any sign of Heero. He felt very unsafe in the presence of the man in front of him and even though he could take this man down easily, he didn’t want to blow his cover and compromise the mission unless there was no other option. He was unarmed, the silver purse big enough for his phone and not much else, the dress not an option for hiding anything under either. It was way too close to his body to be able to conceal a weapon, which in hindsight, was probably something he should’ve considered, but again, the mission.

Argus scowled, not at all liking Duo’s rejection, however slight it might’ve been. No was no and no one said know to Argus Septum. He reached for Duo more violently this time, yanking his hand towards him.

“I said I want to dance with you.”

Duo winced a bit as he tries to wiggle free. Despite the fact that he’s not ex-military, he had a strong grip and Duo was finding it hard to get free. He needed to gain some leverage so he could overpower him and regain control of the situation, but before he could do anything, he was being pulled roughly forward towards the man. Argus dragged Duo towards the entrance, smirking at him the more he fought.  A few feet from the entrance, a familiar set of eyes glance at Duo, who feels immediate relief.

“Excuse me, what are you doing to Dori?”

Argus turns slightly to get a look at the man behind him. He was easily six inches taller than Heero and had well over a hundred pounds on him, but that wouldn’t matter and both Heero and Duo knew that.

“Aw we’re just about to go dancing.”

“Doesn’t look to me like she’s interested in dancing with you.”

Argus smirks, releasing Duo and getting directly in Heero’s face, big mistake and Argus was about to find out just how big of a mistake it was to try and challenge Heero Yuy.

“What are you going to do about it, kid? Not my fault you brought the prettiest date."

“True, but it won’t be my fault either when I do this.”

“Huh?” 

Heero draws back his fist and Duo closes his eyes in anticipation of Argus getting punched in the face, opening his eyes when the sound doesn’t come. Heero had stopped just before he connected with Argus’s oversized nose. Big noses must be a family trait. Lucky them. Argus laughs when the punch never comes, which was also a mistake since Heero was at the limit to his patience, on the verge of not caring about the mission and getting dangerously close to beating the hell out of Argus.

“Oh-ho what’s the matter kid? Too afraid to go through with it?”

Duo glances at Heero and knew he had to say something before everything went to shit.

“No he just doesn’t want to cause a scene. He’s not afraid of anything.”

Argus glances at Duo who had managed to make his way back to Heero’s side, grabbing his friend’s arm and tugging it towards him gently.

“Ichiro, let’s just go. He’s not worth making a scene over. No sense in getting us both kicked out over this.”

Heero looks at Duo, a small smile forming as he relaxes, tension leaving his shoulders.

“You’re right, Dori. Forgive me, I let my temper get in the way. I almost ruined our evening.”

Duo holds back at chuckle at Heero’s words, wondering what he would’ve actually said had they not been in such a formal setting. Duo shakes his head at Heero, dismissing his apology.

“It’s ok. I know you were just upset and trying to be chivalrous, but that’s not necessary. Now, shall we go enjoy our evening?”

Heero can’t stop the shocked expression from crossing his features, not expecting Duo to have so effectively diffused the situation. The guy had talent, that’s for sure. He wonders briefly just how much trouble Duo’s words have gotten him out of over the years and blanches at the thought. 

“Of course, Dori. Let’s go.”

They head back inside arm in arm, once again focused on the mission and determined to complete it without any other distractions or near disasters. Out on the dance floor, they talk softly, being sure that the music masks their conversation.

“Well, now that I got us out of that situation, what’s the plan? Preferably one that _doesn’t_ involve clocking someone.”

“He deserved it.”

“Not the point.”

Heero smirks and Duo chuckles lightly.

“Would’ve been worth it though.”

“Still not the point.”

“I know, I know. Thank you, by the way. Your smooth talking saved our asses.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

“Really? I thought you were here to be my date.”

Duo shoots Heero a look and he laughs lightly.

“Ok, ok. Well, I already had the misfortune of dancing with Elaine over there. She’s hiding something for sure, but I don’t know what yet. I was too damn worried about you to get more out of her.”

Duo stops dancing at Heero’s words, staring into his eyes with a shocked expression.

“You ok?”

“You…were worried about me?”

“Of course, you idiot. You’re my partner, I kind of need your help here.”

Duo begins dancing again, clearly a bit hurt by what Heero said.

“Partner?”

“Yes. My partner. You know? Partner? Mission?”

“Is…is that all?”

Duo couldn’t stop the words from coming out, even though he really wished he could’ve, immediately regretting them the minute they left his lips. He didn’t want Heero to know his true feelings and here he is practically blurting them out at him. Heero seemed confused, perhaps thinking about Duo’s question and any possible implication behind it before answering him.

“Well, no. You aren’t _just_ my partner.”

Duo looks up, having looked away in embarrassment after his near confession just moments ago. He searches Heero’s familiar features, trying in vain to read any kind of expression or emotion on his face. He should know better by now that Heero rarely showed any kind of expression, rarely showed any kind of emotions, though he did show anger a few moments ago.

“Well then?”

“You’re also my friend, probably the person I trust most out of anyone so no, Duo, you’re not _just_ my partner.”

Duo was shocked to hear his real name, but also happy. Heero felt it was important enough to go against all his training to use his real name, even if it was only loud enough for him to hear. He jolted from his moment of happiness when he felt a tap on his shoulder, turning his head to see a woman smiling up at him.

“Hello there, mind if I cut in?”

Duo glances over his shoulder to look at the woman who tapped his shoulder, smiling politely at her before glancing over to Heero. On the exterior, he would seem indifferent to those who don’t know him well, but Duo could tell he was hesitant so he spoke up.

“Is that all right with you, Ichiro?”

Heero glanced at Duo, then over to the woman. He was reluctant to give up the safety of dancing with Duo but knew there was a mission to complete so he nods, smiling at her.

“Of course.”

Duo steps out of the way as Eileen steps into his spot, taking over dancing with Heero. Duo knew the woman was connected to the remnants in some way and that Heero would use dancing with her as a way to get information out of her, but he didn’t have to like it. He felt so uncomfortable without Heero there with him and he certainly didn’t want to leave any openings for Argus to approach him, even if he was a person of interest. He steps off the dance floor, making his way to the table he sat in before, to some form of comfort. These sort of events didn’t usually bother him, but then again, he’s usually not dressed to the nines as a woman at them either. He sits down as gracefully as he can manage and slips his shoes off, enjoying being rid of them even temporarily.

“Dreadful things, aren’t they?”

Duo looks up in the direction of the voice, smiling at the familiar face.

“What the hell are you doin’ here?”

“Can’t a girl move up in the world? Jeez.”

She sits down next to him, copying his actions and taking off her shoes as well.

“I get that you’re here with him, but…what’s with…?”

She gestures up and down, indicating how he’s dressed.

“Wasn’t my idea, believe me.” Duo shifts in his chair, leaning in closer to her. “Seriously though, Hilde, what are you doin’ here? Don’t tell me…”

Hilde shoots him a glare. “Of _course_ not, Duo. I would never sell out to Oz, remnants or not. I care about you too much to go against everything you fought for, dummy.”

“So then why?”

“I’m here as someone’s plus one.”

She gestures vaguely towards the bar where a well-dressed man was ordering drinks, smiling over to her. Duo smirks at her and she rolls her eyes.

“It’s nothing like that, Duo. He’s a sweet guy, but we’re just friends.”

Duo shrugs. “It’s fine, not like I have any say in the matter anyway. We’re not…ya know.”

Hilde sighs, looking a bit down at Duo’s words. “I know.”

Duo, realizing he upset her frowns, reaching out for her hand. He rubs it gently, trying to force her to look up at him.

“Hilde, I’m sorry I…I didn’t mean to upset you it’s just…”

“I know, Duo.”

“You do?” He looks at her confused, eyebrow quirking up in question.

“Of course.”

“But how? I just realized it myself.”

Hilde chuckled, taking Duo’s hand in her own and staring him in the eyes.

“I think you and he are the last two to figure it out, Duo.”

Duo huffed a bit, slightly annoyed with how Hilde was teasing him. He looks over as the man approaches them, handing one of the drinks to Hilde.

“Hey, Hilde, who’s this?”

“Oh just an old friend of mine who I haven’t seen in a while.”

“Dori Zwei”

Duo stands up, forgetting his shoes for a moment to greet the man, answering for Hilde before she stuttered from not knowing his alias.

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Zwei. I hope you’re enjoying my gala.”

“I…what?”

Duo’s brain catches up with him as he realizes what the man in front of him said. The man laughs, taking Duo’s hand and shaking it politely.

“I am sorry I didn’t introduce myself sooner. My name is Octavius Renault and this is my charity gala.”

Duo nods slowly. The man in front of him seemed nice enough and if Hilde was his date, he doubted he had any connection to the remnants trying to bring about the war. He rationalized that this man was just an unfortunate host to those who would bring about more destruction and despair.

“Yes, I’ve been enjoying myself so far, though I can’t say I’m fond of all of your guests.”

Octavius quirked an eyebrow at Duo’s remark and Duo felt the need to explain himself further but didn’t want to upset him as his own event.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to rock the boat, but Argus Septum…”

Octavius sighs, cutting Duo off from continuing his explanation.

“I am so sorry about that. Argus…tends to get a bit overzealous towards beautiful women. He knows better than to try and go after anyone who’s my date so I guess you were his target.”

“Yeah you _could_ say that.”

“I do apologize. Truth be told, I don’t care much for him either, but he always draws big names to these sort of things and big names means lots of money for my charities so…I put up with it.”

Duo nods in understanding, sitting back down to put his shoes back on. He fiddles with them for a moment before looking back at Octavius who had taken a seat next to Hilde.

“Oh, it’s all right. I understand that you have to do what you must for funding. Nothing too terrible happened though Ichiro did nearly punch his lights out.”

Octavius chuckles deeply and both Hilde and Duo look at him confused and slightly startled.

“Next time do me a favor and let him. I’ve wanted someone to knock him out for years now.”

“Octavius!”

“Sorry, Hilde.”

Hilde and Duo both laugh, Duo glancing past them to check on Heero, searching the dance floor for him. He was still dancing with the woman from earlier and he could tell even from here how uncomfortable he was. His posture was so rigid, not that he couldn’t understand how he felt. Eileen was dancing way too close to him for this sort of event and he was getting upset just watching her cling to Heero. Heero keeps trying to separate himself, but she sticks on him despite any efforts made by his partner. He leans forward in his chair when Heero’s posture suddenly changes, slowly getting to his feet and ready to go to Heero if necessary.

Hilde glances up at Duo, following his gaze to where Heero is on the dance floor.

“Everything ok?”

“Not sure.”

He continues to watch, not wanting to alarm Octavius or Hilde any further as Heero manages to excuse himself, shooting a glance in Duo’s direction that Duo knew he was meant to follow, been on enough missions with him to figure out his subtle body language.

“Please excuse me. It was nice seeing you again, Hilde. Don’t be afraid to come visit.”

Hilde smiles up at him, getting up from her chair to give him a hug.

“Will do. It was nice to catch up.”

“It was nice meeting you.”

He shakes hands with Octavius quickly before heading after Heero.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to tell me what you think. I take constructive criticism...just don't be an asshole about it. I've been away from writing fanfic for years and as I mentioned, this is my first time writing Gundam Wing.


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